New Empire Book 3 prologue
by SithMasterJosh
Summary: Weeks after the events on Ruusan, Darth Sidious brings in a new player to assist his Apprentice in ridding the galaxy of the Jedi and their Rebellion once and for all. This is the full prologue to the still-incomplete final book of my New Empire trilogy.


_Since this book is taking longer than I thought, here's something to hold you over for a while and get you salivating. The full prologue to the still-unnamed conclusion to the New Empire Trilogy. Enjoy!_ —**Josh**

**Prologue**

The Emperor's office was unusually bright as Lord Arisin strode through the large doors and crossed the rich crimson carpet. Ever since Ruusan, three weeks prior, Lord Sidious had shown a youthful exuberance unlike anything Arisin had ever seen of him. The elderly Sith Master had shed his characteristic heavy black robes and taken to donning intricately fashioned robes in hues of sapphire, gold, and crimson. His wardrobe had begun to resemble that which he wore during his years with the Republic Senate, and later as Supreme Chancellor. It seemed his newfound youth went more than skin deep.

The sky beyond the enormous panoramic window behind his desk was a deep midnight blue, laced with the golds and purples of the rapidly setting sun. The cityscape sprawled out across the horizon was aglow with artificial light that spilled upwards to illuminate the clouds.

"You wished to see me, Master?" Arisin asked as he approached the Emperor, who sat back in his throne, looking, for the first time, as powerful as he felt through the Force.

"Yes, Apprentice," Sidious purred. "It is clear to me that, while the Rebellion may be on the verge of extinction, this Jedi, and particularly his new acolyte Kyle Katarn, are not to be underestimated."

Arisin nodded. "I agree, Master. Their…resourcefulness was effective, to say the least. And we seem to have lost all trace of them since they escaped the Ruusan system."

"Thanks, no doubt, to Ragnor Breyac," Sidious spat. "Your sister and Mara Jade were unable to catch him, which speaks volumes about his skills in the art of evading capture. If he is working with the Jedi now, they may succeed in their efforts to disappear."

"But they didn't go through all that trouble just to go to ground for the rest of their lives," Arisin insisted. "They'll be back."

"Indeed, they will," the Emperor agreed. "I suspect they will make themselves known once they believe themselves to have the advantage. We must be vigilant in our search for them, tracking down every lead, no matter how thin. They will be monitoring our activity; they'll know we are searching for them."

"That will keep them on the alert," Arisin cautioned. "Shouldn't we attempt to lull them into a false sense of security?"

"It will keep them desperate to avoid detection," the Emperor corrected. "It will require a constant drain on their resources to remain out of our sight. The Empire has considerably more resources to draw upon."

"Assuming Breyac will be their benefactor—" Arisin started.

"A safe assumption," the Emperor interjected.

"—their resources may be considerable," Arisin finished. Though the Empire had naturally seized all of Breyac's numerous accounts, neither he nor his Master were foolish enough to believe that they had possession of even a fraction of his assets. Men like Breyac knew how to make their credits invisible to official records.

The Emperor nodded. "This is true," he said.

"What you're talking about, it could take _years_," Arisin told him. "All the while, Katarn trains with the Jedi to oppose us."

Sidious gave a soft chuckle. "An almost familiar story, is it not, Lord Arisin?"

Arisin frowned. He hadn't given it much thought, but now that he did, he found that it _did_ resemble his own history. "With all due respect, Master, why are you acting as though you aren't concerned?"

"Because I am not," the old man answered simply. "They pose a threat to us, certainly, but I don't believe for a moment that they will ever have the power to make good their intentions. They _will_ be stopped."

Lord Arisin cocked an eyebrow. "Have your foreseen this?"

"I believe it," Sidious said sharply. "I don't need to foresee it to know that it is true."

"Am I to assume that my orders are to track the Jedi down?" Arisin asked. "Because my abilities in that area are negligible. I've never been much of a hunter. And with all the extra effort they will be going through to hide themselves…"

Darth Sidious shook his head. "It matters not," he said. "It so happens that there is someone at our disposal with ample tracking abilities."

"Jade?" Arisin inquired.

The Emperor shook his head and pressed a button on the arm of his throne. "No," he said. "The one I have in mind has power that puts Jade to shame." The doors to the office opened and a woman strode through them. "I believe the two of you are already acquainted."

Arisin spun on his heel and found himself staring in disbelief at a stunningly beautiful woman with fiery red shoulder-length hair. She wore a skin-tight body suit that conformed provocatively to her lean, shapely body. She walked with a level of confidence that immediately identified her as a powerful individual, even without her impressive aura in the Force. At her hip Arisin espied a peculiar device. It appeared similar to a lightsaber hilt, but from its emitter extended a number of metallic tendrils, like a wicked flail, which she kept coiled.

"Shira!" Arisin gasped. "Shira Brie! But—"

"—I'm dead," she responded venomously. Her voice was smooth and smoky and she spoke with that Coruscanti accent Arisin had always found so exotic. "That _is_ what you were going to say, isn't it?" She scoffed. "Clearly I'm not, little thanks to _you_, Skywalker."

"She is called Lumiya now," the Emperor told his apprentice. "She was your father's Shadow Hand, one of his most powerful pupils."

"_The_ most powerful," she corrected, keeping her emerald eyes locked on to Arisin's.

"Shira, I—" He fumbled over the words. Shira Brie had been his wing guard in the Rebellion. She had also been his lover. But nearly two years ago, he mistakenly killed her in a dogfight. Or so he thought. He'd even been stripped of his Alliance commission for his actions until it was later uncovered that she had been an Imperial plant.

"My name is Lumiya," the woman snapped. "You were right the first time, Skywalker. Shira Brie is dead."

"But how?" Arisin asked. He probed her with the Force. Something felt off. "You're cybernetic," he said at last.

Lumiya gave a curt nod. "More machine now than woman," she told him. "But don't pity me, Skywalker. I don't need it."

"I didn't plan to," Arisin replied, finally finding his voice. "I didn't know it at the time, but you were an enemy agent. In retrospect, shooting you down was just a happy accident."

"One might even say it was the Will of the Force," said the Emperor, who spoke for the first time since introducing Lumiya to his apprentice.

"I was rebuilt stronger, more resilient," she said. "I suppose I ought to _thank_ you, Skywalker. What you stole from me, the Empire gave me ten fold in return."

Darth Sidious watched this interaction with rapt attention. He was disappointed that Lord Arisin was allowing himself to be spoken to in such a disrespectful manner. He understood that the boy was overcome with shock at seeing a former lover risen from the grave, but a Sith must be in control of his emotions at all times. And he should never allow another to dictate the terms of their interaction. A Sith is submissive to none but his Master.

"I can sense the anger within you," Arisin told her. "Try as you might, you can't hide your hatred for me. Your words are hollow; I know that you don't believe them. But you _should_."

"Excuse me?" Lumiya scoffed.

Palpatine grinned. Lord Arisin was taking command. This was good.

"Whatever power you lost from your injuries, you still possess impressive strength in the Force," Arisin said. "And physically, your cybernetics make you far superior to ordinary organics. I saw how strong Vader was first-hand. Few sentient beings posed a threat to him. You _should_ thank me."

"How dare you—" Lumiya began but Lord Arisin cut her off.

"I am Sith," he snapped. "I dare all I want."

Lumiya remained silent for a moment, seething with hatred and glaring at the Dark Lord with eyes no longer the color of emerald, but now the color of smoldering sulfur. "Very well," she said evenly. "Thank you, _My Lord_."

Arisin's features softened some. "You were once my father's pupil, his Hand," he said. "I have acquired everything he possessed. That includes you. We were friends at one time, you and I. More than friends. There's no reason our relationship has to be an unpleasant one."

Lumiya stiffened her neck microscopically. "How do you mean?" she asked suspiciously.

"Exactly what I said," he replied casually. "Just as you are a different person than you were when you infiltrated the Alliance, I am a different person from the ignorant flyboy you knew. The past is over, but the future can be molded in any way we see fit."

"I will concede both of those points," Lumiya told him. Arisin could feel some of her hatred for him slipping away. "I'll admit, the man standing before me is not the boy who shot me down two years ago. I would never have believed that Luke Skywalker could ever be capable of embracing the Dark Side the way you've done."

"The Emperor shined a light on my life," Arisin told her, "showed me my mistakes. He also showed me my potential, one I could never hope to achieve were I to live the life of a Jedi."

Lumiya shifted her stance to look over Lord Arisin's shoulder at the Emperor. "My congratulations, Your Majesty," she said. "I almost didn't believe the reports until now, seeing him for myself."

"Unlike his father, Lord Arisin made this choice for himself," Sidious explained. "He longed to better himself, to live up to his full potential. I merely highlighted the path. You will find him to be a more enlightened Master than Lord Vader."

"Master?" Lumiya cocked an eyebrow. "I'm no longer _your_ Shadow Hand?"

The Emperor shook his head. "As Lord Arisin pointed out, he has acquired all that his father possessed. Vader mismanaged his agents, twisted them and their allegiances until they couldn't be certain _whom_ they served. Those whom I wasn't forced to eliminate, I was forced to take possession of. But Lord Arisin has no trouble remembering where his loyalties lie. I bequeath unto him all that which I removed from Vader's control. Including you, my dear."

Though obviously agitated at being treated as an heirloom to be inherited, Lumiya nodded in compliance. "Understood, Your Excellency." She turned her attention back to Arisin. "The Jedi will not be easy to locate," she told him. "Not with Ragnor Breyac's skills at their disposal. But they will make a mistake and when they do, I will be there to exploit it, no matter how long it takes."

"Do you have a plan?" Arisin asked. "Or is waiting for them to make a mistake your plan?" Anger flared in Lumiya and Arisin smiled. He was going to enjoy his time with her again. He held up a hand to stop her retort. "You don't have to answer that," he told her, amused. "I've seen your talents up close. I have complete faith in you. And unlike my father, I intend to assist you, not threaten you. Assuming you require my assistance," he added quickly.

"I may," Lumiya replied sharply. "I'll keep you informed. My Lord."

Arisin nodded. "Thank you, Shira," he said. "I look forward to our time together."

"You are dismissed, Lumiya," the Emperor croaked from his throne.

The Shadow Hand gave the Sith a respectful nod and backed out of the office, leaving a turbulent wake in the Force as she left.

"You have made quite an impression on her, Apprentice," Sidious said when the doors to his office had sealed shut again. "Her hatred for you goes beyond simply her disfigurement."

"We were—emotionally involved," Arisin said, turning round to speak with his Master. "During the Alliance. We grew very close to one another. I admit, seeing her alive has stirred up feelings I thought were long dead."

Palpatine's face was unreadable. "I believe she felt something for you, as well. The anger in her, it is bred from a feeling of betrayal, not of a lust for revenge."

"I shot down her fighter," Arisin responded plainly. "It was an accident, but I still pulled the triggers. I felt incredible guilt. For a long time."

"And now?" the Emperor inquired. "What do you feel _now_?"

Arisin pondered the question a moment. "Relief," he admitted finally.

"Do you still regret your actions?"

"No," Arisin said resolutely. "It was an accident, I know that. And besides, she was an enemy agent. I'm pleased she survived, but in retrospect, I have nothing to feel regret for."

Darth Sidious cracked a smile. "You are wise, Apprentice," he said. "You should never regret the past. Regret chains us to events beyond our ability to control. A Sith wears no chains."

"Through victory, my chains are broken," Arisin said, quoting the Sith code.

"Just so," Sidious said. "It would seem she is of a similar mind to you concerning how long we may be looking for our missing Jedi," he said, changing course. "The two of you are more similar than she would choose to admit," he mused. "She is a wild bantha. She must be broken before she will serve you. But once she has been, she will be a valuable asset. She will serve you well."

Arisin nodded. "Of that, I have no doubt, Master."


End file.
